How can Bayern Munich benefit from fully-fit Hiroki Ito? | OneFootball

In June 2024, with Bayern Munich’s focus on a new center-back seemingly being directed towards Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, the club’s chiefs surprised many when they acquired Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart by triggering his €30 million release clause.

Roughly eight months later, because of inactivity due to a long-term injury suffered just before the start of the ongoing season, the jury is still out on the signing of the 25-year-old Japanese defender.

With Ito having finally made his long-awaited competitive debut for Bayern earlier this month, as a late second-half substitute, during the 2-1 victory in Glasgow over Celtic in the Champions League, and having started in two of Bayern’s three subsequent games in the Bundesliga, fans have gotten a taste of what the player has to offer.

With Die Roten’s overall defensive performances this season having been relatively improved when compared to those of last season, but yet still lacking consistency, let’s now be reminded of how the presence of a healthy Hiroki Ito can further enhance the efficiency of Bayern’s defensive efforts.

Naturally left-footed and equally capable at center-back or full-back

In his first three competitive appearances for Bayern, Hiroki Ito has been deployed exclusively at left-back and hasn’t been a disappointment, especially when one considers the fact that he had been out of action for over six months.

Since his 12-minute cameo in his debut against Celtic, in the Champions League, the former-Stuttgart defender has put in two solid shifts in the Bundesliga. In the 0-0 draw away at Leverkusen he delivered a commendable performance over 68 minutes on the pitch and even had the presence of mind to take a yellow card for the team when he halted an obvious threat on goal. In the Rekordmeister’s most recent match, in 63 minutes against Frankfurt, in his home debut, he scored his first goal for his new club and Bayern’s second goal of the match en route to a 4-0 victory.

Apart from resolute defending, Ito can supplement the attack down the left flank and deliver telling crosses in and around the six-yard box. However, where the greatest value may exist for Bayern with their only naturally left-footed defender is at the heart of the defense.  Beyond Vincent Kompany’s preferred starting center-back pairing of Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae this season, notwithstanding the availability of Josip Stanisic, the only other natural center-back option has been the 31-year-old Eric Dier.

The English defender is by no means a slouch, and in fact has been quite reliable when called upon, but due to his lack of pace, he is not the ideal candidate for Kompany’s system of high-line defense. With that being the case, simply put, both Upamecano and Kim have been overworked for much of the season to date. As a result of the demands placed on them, both players have played through injury at various times this season and that has only led to unwanted errors and inconsistency in their performances, particularly in the case of Kim.

With the return of Hiroki Ito, Bayern’s defensive efficiency would likely trend in the right direction. Kim has been bothered with pain in both his knee and Achilles tendon for several months now, whilst most recently, Upamecano had to miss last Sunday’s 4-0 victory over Frankfurt due to discomfort in his lower back. Hiroki Ito starting at center-back alongside either Kim, Upamecano, or even Dier, between now and the end of the season, should definitely be in Kompany’s reckoning. Should Ito be able to recapture the sort of form he displayed last season for Stuttgart, then Bayern can get better as the season progresses.